Located within an Elaborated Externalizing Psychopathology Related Personality Disorders Spectrum

This chapter focuses on four adult personality disorders (PDs), which all display differential symptom manifestations that are relevant to disruptive problems affecting childhood behavior. These disorders are antisocial PD/psychopathy, borderline PD, narcissistic PD, and paranoid PD. At least four of the DSM-5 PDs are to various degrees related to the externalizing spectrum of psychopathology, which can be reliably identified in both children and adults. The chapter considers that the formal model for personality disorders in the DSM-5 is flawed, and examining contemporary personality trait models (e.g., as presented in DSM-5 Section III) moves the field in a more productive direction for integrating child and adult behavioral pathologies. The DSM-5 Section III personality trait model appears to be a promising one within which to consider externalizing from a trait perspective. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have already investigated associations between DSM-5 Section III trait dimensions and different externalizing problems.